


Expectations and Exceptions

by 4_angsty_zukos



Series: Palpitations [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Clueless gays, Confessions, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders is Extra, Janus is amused and actually trying to help, Logic | Logan Sanders is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Misunderstandings, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Good Friend, Remus's version of helping is not... normal, Swearing, imagination powers, warning for Remus shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:13:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28912128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4_angsty_zukos/pseuds/4_angsty_zukos
Summary: Logan is not very good at resolving most of the drama the other Sides get into. He prefers to observe , offer advice, and on rare occasion, offer awkward and well researched comfort. He doesn't feel comfortable in emotional situations. But he does have an interest in ensuring Thomas's health and overall well-being, so when Virgil takes to avoiding the usual meetings with Thomas, Logan takes note. He doesn't want to unsettle the anxious Side any more than neccesary, so he arranges a meeting in the Imagination, so they can have a private discussion about whatever's got Virgil unhappy this time.******************************************Virgil's been thinking. Thinking too much about a certain intellectual, about wanting to spend more time with him, about how cute Logan's smirks are, how he'd like to be the reason for one of Logan's laughs, how nice it might be to kiss him.  These thoughts make him feel extra anxious, so he decides to just avoid everyone until the thoughts go away. Then he gets a note from Logan, and he just knows Logan's figured him out.
Relationships: Analogical - Relationship, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders
Series: Palpitations [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2120454
Comments: 16
Kudos: 29





	1. Notes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BornofFlame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BornofFlame/gifts).



> I consume a lot of Analogical content , and a lot of Sanders Sides content in general, so I'm writing self-indulgent fic instead of sleeping because the specific fics I want either don't exist or I've read them all twice. There will be content warnings in later chapters for the Remus stuff and the violence but no one will die. 
> 
> Gifting this to BornofFlame because I spent hours last night and today reading a bunch of your stuff and I love every word! Your Analogical is some of my favorite, and I adore your Remy and Roman. I hope you'll find something of worth here.
> 
> This series is a collection of love stories for the Sanders Sides web series. Some will be connected, others will not. I will make it clear in the notes or tags when I have a sequel planned! Suggestions welcomed in the comments, the ONLY ship I won't write for is RemRom.

The music was a good distraction, and a much needed one. Virgil was pacing in his room slowly, headphones on, his favorite MCR album playing from his phone. He'd been so good at not getting attached, not caring much about how the others saw him , but then they just had to be nice, had to come to his room looking for him, saying nice things, telling him he was important to them. The detached act fell apart pretty fast after that. Mostly he was still good at not opening up a lot, but when it came to Logan, he found himself ... wanting that. Wanting to open up, have debates, conversations. 

It was fun to watch how passionate and excited Logan got when he was teaching the group, explaining things, or bickering with Roman. Hearing Logan's chuckle, or seeing his smirks ... something about it made Virgil feel different. If it were possible to just delete these feelings from his mind, he would do it , because Virgil recognized these feelings, the way his heart felt all shaky around Logan, how his breaths felt faster, how everything Logan said sounded vitally important and intriguing. He was in love. He was in love, and it was terrible, a cruel joke of the universe, because there was zero chance of anyone falling for a manifestation of fear and insecurity and stress and all the awkward things people do when they're nervous.  
What did Virgil have to offer Logan? What was he supposed to say ,"Hey, Logan, wanna date? I'm really good at pointing out how any activity can go wrong"? Yeah, the only possible future was rejection. Better to hide out until the feelings faded away into his usual moods of dread and annoyance. Hiding out would work this time, he just had to text the others to make them think he was busy- not sick. Playing sick meant Patton visiting, and that meant talking about feelings, and THAT would be a disaster. He could handle this. He'd handled emotional days by himself before and he would do it now for however long it took his dumb heart to figure out nothing was going to change. 

Late night trips to the kitchen were normal for him anyway, and it wasn't like he was the one everyone else sought out for company. That was usually Roman, who had fun ideas, or Patton ,who was always so good at coming up with activities to fix any bad mood- activities he wouldn't mind right now if hanging out with Patton wasn't a sure way to land himself in a mountain of embarrassment and teasing. He liked Patton, but Patton was too friendly to be good at keeping secrets, and he knew Patton would get excited and wistful and blab to Logan, and then Virgil really would have to hide in his room forever. Roman was a romantic, so telling him would be equally treachorous- Roman was bound to orchestrate some elaborate plan to get him and Logan together and the Prince wouldn't stop until he got the fairy tale he wanted. Virgil wasn't up for his love life being a game , a form of amusement to someone else. He wanted his love life to either be real, something he earned and worked for, a bond that wasn't built out of some one time thrill - or just not have a love life at all. He didn't want to be in serious doubt that the other person liked him, and not just whatever Virgil did in a given situation. Of course, he'd always have doubts, but that was just how he functioned. 

The words of the song playing didn't register as he paced around his room, muttering to himself. " It's not like I can tell him. He would laugh at me, or he'd calmly explain he doesn't like me like that, or worse, he'll give me a pitying look. I 'd rather die than have him just be nice to me out of pity. Patton and Roman would just plot some Hallmark movie shit and try to get us together, which would be mortifying and Logan would hate me forever! Janus would just give me bad advice and I'd embarrass myself so much Thomas would just erase me from his brain.... which might be a decent plan if this ever gets out actually, but Patton would be sad, and that would be bad for Thomas... Remus would ... I don't want to know what kind of advice he'd have , but it's definitely gonna be a horror movie romance. I can't risk traumatizing everyone. I'm enough of a nuisance as I am. Putting Thomas through Remus advice would probably make things worse. Nope, the best choice is staying here by myself. Minimize the explosion, minimize the damage. I'm a grenade and I can't hurt anyone else if I stay put, right? Right. " He sighed heavily, sitting down on his bed and then stretching out, staring up at the posters and glowing star stickers he had on his ceiling. He took his phone out of his hoodie pocket, about to text Patton to claim that he was fine, when a knock came from his door. Seconds passed. Another knock, then a painfully familiar throat clearing.

"Virgil? I don't mean to disturb you, I just wanted to deliver a note. Please read it. Patton wanted me to let you know he made pasta for dinner,he left a plate for you in the fridge. I... I'm not sure why you're avoiding us, but you can tell us if something we did was upsetting. You know that, right? If it's too much to talk to one of the others about something they did, you can talk to me. I 'll do my best not to react in a way that would make your anxiety heightened. You can make your own choices, but please don't duck out again. I'm not nearly as good as you are at managing all the little worries in life, and facing Patton's constant pouting would be unbearable. Don't forget to eat, it's important you stay healthy. I'll leave you alone now, do read the note, I slipped it under your door. " Logan's voice was calm, and the effect it had on Virgil's heartrate and the general temperature of his cheeks was absolute proof that he was in deep, deep trouble.


	2. Amor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan doesn't like not knowing the solution to a problem, but how can he solve a problem if he doesn't even know what the problem itself IS? He knows Virgil is acting differently, that something triggered the change, the change is why Virgil is hiding, but he can't for the life of him identify the cause for this effect. He sets out to solve the mystery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where you learn all my deep dark hyperfixation secrets by what I make Logan interested in. I hope I survive the judgement, lol!

Logan normally liked problem solving. It was a game of wit, a test of knowledge and skill, and he felt proud when he solved a new equation or completed a puzzle, or solved a mystery before the detectives in his books. But the newest problem among the Sides was baffling even for him. Virgil had taken to hiding in his room ever since the last Sides video, which at first he suspected was due to whatever Thomas and Virgil discussed without the others, but Virgil didn't seem too distraught to talk to Thomas alone afterwards. No, it was group gatherings Virgil skipped out on. But why? Roman hadn't taken to picking on him again. Patton was as insufferably nice as always. Janus and Remus were... troublesome, but hadn't been causing too much mayhem. Thomas certainly hadn't said or done anything that would have upset Virgil , at least not to Logan's knowledge. 

Which left only two possible conclusions- Virgil was keeping something secret, or Logan himself had somehow managed to upset the anxious Side. This possiblity upset Logan far more than was reasonable. He found himself analyzing his words, his actions , every moment spent around Virgil. Had he missed it , the look of hurt or offense on Virgil's face? Had he said, unwittingly, something rude or inaccurate that Virgil deemed unforgivable? Had his tone been too distant, his expression angered? Did Virgil think Logan disliked him, still, even after all the proof to the contrary? The last thing Logan wanted to do was cause Thomas any undo mental health dilemmas, or strife. If he'd made Virgil feel disliked, again, then it was his number one priority to fix it as quickly as possible, reassure Virgil that he was liked and cared for and important. Purely for logical reasons, of course. 

Not because the idea of his actions making Virgil sad caused his heart to twist in an unpleasant way, kept him from relaxing to his favored classical music, made him hesitate when passing Vrgil's door, listening for sounds of distress. No, no, not him. That was Patton's area of confidence, emotions. Logan was logic, good at solving things and knowing things. So why did he feel uneasy the longer Virgil stayed hidden in his room? Why was Virgil on his mind so frequently? 

Logan sighed as he sat at his desk, his notes a disorderly mess. He'd been writing down possible offenses he'd commited, but nothing seemed big enough to warrant Virgil's behaviour. He'd already asked Patton, many times, if he'd noticed anything Logan had done wrong lately that would have made Virgil unhappy. Patton had been at a loss, but suggested Logan ask Virgil himself. Logan knew confrontations were likely not something Virgil would like, so he developed a plan. First,he'd get Roman's permission to use the Imagination as a safe place for a chat, one with only him and Virgil so Virgil wouldn't feel pressured by an audience. Then, he would deliver a note to Virgil asking to meet. Once that was done, all that was left was to wait and see if Virgil was willing to talk.

After a long discussion, Roman agreed to Logan's plan, though Logan suspected Roman had some type of mischief planned, the way Roman had smirked when Logan explained wanting a private moment with Virgil. So now, Logan needed to write the note. Words normally came so easily for him. Why was he nervous now? He thought of Virgil's trepidation when reading it, how any minor mistake would ruin everything and Virgil would never want to debate with him again. He'd never hear Virgil chuckle again, or the amusing little hisses he made when defensive or annoyed. He needed to choose every word with care. Taking a deep breath, and a long drink of coffee from his favorite TARDIS mug, Logan picked up a pen, grabbed a notebook, and began to write. 

"Salutations, Virgil.  
I am not certain why you've been avoiding us, but I feel unsettled without you there. I've analyzed everyone's actions toward you lately, and the only conclusions I can find are that you either have a secret you believe will cause trouble, or I have done something to hurt you. If I am indeed the cause of your retreat, I am deeply sorry, Virgil. I am , unfortunately, not a Timelord. I cannot go back in time and undo my errors. But I will make up for it now, if you'd allow me. Emotions are an area I am lacking sorely in, and I shall make an effort to do better. I want you to know I do not dislike you in any way. Sometimes I am perplexed by your reactions, but that is because you and I are different and thus react differently to stimuli. Which is a normal thing, Virgil. If I've made a remark that hurt your feelings, laughed at your expense, or otherwise inadvertantly upset you, please be honest and tell me that. I do not want to make you feel mocked or mistreated. I know it's not pleasant to feel left out, Virgil. I respect you. You're witty, and rational, most of the time, and you're much more amusing to spend time with than Roman or Patton- please don't tell them I said that, Patton might cry and I don't want apology letters to become a habit for me. I simply mean I enjoy your company, Virgil. I've seen the importance you have in Thomas's life. You keep us all safe as best you can, and that is a profoundly important task. 

I value our friendship, and if I have tainted it, I will do whatever I can to make it up to you. And if something other than me is the problem, I'll help you overcome it , if you'll let me. I've been looking into ways to deal with anxiety symptoms, and perhaps one of the methods can make your life a little bit less stressful than on average. You don't have to be on the high end of the Yerkes-Dodson Curve alone, Virgil. Remember that, alright?  
If you'd be willing to tell me what's troubling you, please meet me in the Imagination tomorrow at 2 p.m. I'll do my best to help you and to be calm and supportive of your feelings.  
Yours apologetically and respectfully, your friend,  
Logan " 

Satisfied, Logan stood up, adjusted his tie, fixed his hair and glasses, and picked up the note, heading to deliver it. He knocked once, twice on Virgil's door. No reply. He sighed. So the silent treatment, which confirmed his concerns. He kept his voice calm as he spoke, despite the painful sinking feeling in his chest, the odd dampness around his eyes. Dust, dust in the air, agitating his eyes. That's all this was, not emotions, not... guilt. Once he finished speaking, he slid the note under Virgil's door, lingering a few seconds, ears straining to hear if Virgil was on the other side of the door, if Virgil was distressed by his presence. Nothing. No sound except a very faint song he couldn't identify beyound knowing the band name. Virgil had music on, was probably listening to it in case someone dared to bother him, a ready excuse to ignore company. 

Logan couldn't blame him. It was his own fault for not being more adept at emotional dilemmas. He needed lessons from Patton.


	3. Contradictions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil's only trying to get a snack to distract himself from his dumb feelings. Janus asks too many questions and notices some telltale signs and decides to help, in his own way. Only because he's bored, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you so much Janus please never change you mischievous little shit

Virgil only wanted a snack, just something, anything to distract him from Logan's note. He was trying to hurry and get out of the kitchen quickly so he wouldn't have to socialize, and as he was rummaging through the pantry, he heard someone else walk into the kitchen. 

"Virgil, how terrible to see you. Patton hasn't been worrying all day and driving us all up the wall. "

" **Janus, I don't need you to stress me out right now. I'll be out of here in like five seconds just let me angst in peace."** Virgil replied, emerging from the pantry with a bag stuffed with junk food and trying to leave the kitchen. 

"Junk food seems incredibly helpful to fix a crisis mental state, you're so right, V. Not that I care, but what exactly has you angsting this time? Surely something trivial, a reasonable excuse for you to hide like a wounded kitten. I do have lots of better things to do , don't bore me with the details. " Janus was smirking at him. 

Virgil groaned. Janus was in one of his moods. He wanted something fun to do, and he liked causing mischief almost as much as Remus. There would be no avoiding him until Janus was satisfied. 

**"It is boring and dumb, really, I don't have any fun secrets for you to exploit, alright? I'm totally fine, I just needed space from everyone's drama. There's no fight, no big reveal, nothing interesting for you here, move on to someone else,ok?"**

"Right, because your voice isn't totally giving you away right now. Secrets, hmm? Like why Logan slipped a note under your door? Yes, that seems completely innocent and not at all like you two are arguing pen pals or torrid secret lovers. "

**" _JANUS! Shut up, shut up, shut up, someone might hear you! There's- that- nothing's going on with me and Logan, the note was- he's just- I just screwed up and he figured me out okay , nothing to do with you or anyone else so just-"_**

Janus's smirk grew wider, eyes bright with amusement. He chuckled, leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, blocking the exit. "It will go terribly if you tell him how you feel, you know. Logan's not at all fond of you, and you two being an item would be a clear bad thing for Thomas. Disaster for certain, all of us getting along and caring for each other instead of the proper bickering and antics. Surely the note implied how much Logan hates you and wasn't the nerd assuming he upset you and trying to apologize, I didn't hear him agonizing over the words for hours at all. Hide in your room, that will show everyone you're definitely fine and not make us all feel like one of us screwed up.Heightened stress is so healthy for Thomas after all, he just thrives during highly anxious times, you know. "

Virgil frowned, thinking about it. It would be bad for Thomas if he was stressed out this much for a long time. Janus was right about that at least. Virgil had to do something. He might as well bite the bullet and talk to Logan. He sighed. 

"Why are you trying to help me? What's in it for you ?" He asked. He watched Janus, suspicious and confused. He and Janus had argued plenty of times, he had assumed Janus didn't like him. But the deceitful side was hard to figure out. 

"I'm not trying to help, really. I don't care about you. I don't want to see Thomas doing well, which doesn't require us to be doing well. I'm trying to mess with you, obviously. You should eat all the junk food you want, it'll really help you think clearly and make good choices, the sugar high and caffeine are so good for you, as anxiety. Balancing it out with the food Patton made you wouldn't make Patton's day at all, and I'm not worried about the overly emotional pun machine, before you ask. I think talking to Logan would be a bad idea, and I encourage you to not do that. You shouldn't listen to me, clearly I'm wrong. Well, this was such a boring chat, V. I won't check on you later." Janus waved, walking down the hallway, a very amused grin on his face. He had work to do. 

*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

" You want me to work with Remus? You know how that'll end, Janus. No. No way! You just want to see my nice little half of the Imagination burn!"

"As funny as that would be, no. I'm not asking you to work with him for a good reason. This is not about Virgil having a crush on a certain nerd, I didn't think you'd be the best option to plot with, I know you hate love and romance movies. "

Roman blinked, then wrapped Janus in his arms, hugging him. "Virgil's got a crush?! This is FANTASTIC! I've been waiting for a chance to plan a meet cute , or a Hallmark scenario, ohhh , I've got to grab my notes, there are so many plots that will fit the emo perfectly! Do you think Patton would help? You will, right, Jan?Jan the man, Jan-Jan, Jannabanana-"

"That nickname is so touching, I won't smack you if you say it again. Don't put me down, I just love being squeezed to death, it's so pleasant. I won't help, I'm not concerned about you and Remus being left unsupervised." Janus hissed, squirming out of Roman's grip, the red color on his checks only a result of how warm Roman's room was, clearly. He fixed his capelet, and his hair, just for something to do, not for a reason to avoid looking at the excited and adorable Prince. 

Roman laughed. "I've never seen your face that red, it's cute. Did I make you mad at me? I'm sorry, I just got excited. I don't know why we ever thought you were mean, Jay, you're actually really sweet, coming here to help Virgil and Logan. "

"I am mean! I'm not sweet, I don't care about Virgil's feelings, I would love to see him suffer! I'm just a mean snake, this is all for mean ,mean reaso-"

"Janus, I can tell you're acting. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you're a softie, scales. "

"I'm not! Do keep talking, I'm not mortified at all. "

"Mortified? Why? What did I... oh. Is your face red because you're... blushing? Do you like me, Janus?" Roman smirked, leaning closer to Janus, who was sure that any second he would combust. 

"Not a single bit, no,I hate you. I hate you so much. Keep making those obnoxious sounds with your mouth, it's very helpful , I don't want to die of embarrassment at all. "Stop. Saying.Words. Janus. How was it possible to be this flustered around another person? How did Virgil live like this?! 

"Oh, so you hate me, huh? Well, I have good news, I might "hate" you a little too, pretty snake. " Roman leaned even closer, and gave Janus a kiss on the nose. 

Janus let out an undignified squeak, and immediately sank out back to his room. Brilliant move, Janus. Now he definitely won't think you like him. Janus walked over to his bed, and fell face first into his pilows, letting out a scream. Why did Roman have to be so good at the romance stuff? 


	4. Things That I Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil goes to the meeting with Logan in the Imagination, fighting the urge to run the entire time. Things go... in an unanticipated direction. 
> 
> The twins are trying to be helpful in their own ways. Janus supervises. Patton plans a friendship party to remind everyone they're all cared about. He just wants all of them to get along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Virgil here. If you know what musical this chapter title is from, you get a second cookie! But you have to prove it and answer in the comments. Shout out to my friend Lilly on Twitter for letting me know snakes like chicken so I could include a Janus food. 
> 
> This one goes out to every gay who's ever felt awkward around a crush, so I'm guessing 98% of us? Virgil faints but it's for the gay development so everything works out ,Logan's gonna help him. 
> 
> Warning for Remus shenanigans, he's feral, I do not control him. I want it to be kind of a surprise but there will be some typical b-movie horror aspects introduced, not like, IT level shit but think... Scream? Percy Jackson levels? No hard R rating stuff at least, but swearing and crude language, mostly from Remus, because it's Remus.  
> I don't know how the twins interact with the imagination but it makes sense to me that they can essentially do whatever they think of- changing the whole landscape, Avatar style, or creating animals, or making weather. Roman probably has like, a code of honor, Remus eats rules for breakfast. 
> 
> I don't have a reference for what's too scary for my readers, I watch a lot of creepy shows but I will do my best to not be too horrifying. If I have triggered you please tell me so I can tag and apologize.For now , what I'm thinking of, without revealing much of the plot -  
> \- Spiders and other insects  
> \- snakes  
> -heights  
> \- storms  
> -landscape shifting, natural disasters  
> \- violence, but no death and no severe injury  
> \- aggressive creatures  
> -Remus? Is Remus a trigger?  
> Please don't hesitate to click away if anything I write is too much for you. I will not be upset.

_He could do this. It was only a conversation. Nothing monumentally hard in theory._ But God, was it hard in practice. Logan was just so... so put together. Calm and collected and confident. How could Virgil impress him? He wanted to. He wanted to be able to have a conversation with Logan that wouldn't bore the intellectual to death.He paced the hallway, reading Logan's note over and over again. ' _I value our friendship.'_ Logan had called him a friend. A friend, a friend he valued even. Logan was his friend. That made Virgil really happy, and really nervous. What if Logan didn't want to be more than friends?If he confessed and Logan turned him down, Virgil didn't exactly have the option of leaving town to avoid the embarrassment.

He sighed. Nothing for it but to do it. He took a deep breath- once, twice, three times, shaking his hands to get rid of some energy, then checked the time on his phone. Five minutes until 2 PM. Better to be early. Fidgeting with his sleeves and chewing on his hoodie drawstring, he walked to the door of the Imagination, an intricately patterned glass door that had a new design every time he glanced at it. Today it had a scene of Roman fighting a huge dragon that was definitely a rip off of the hydra from Hercules. He smirked, opening the door and stepping into the Imagination. He didn't come in here too often, too stressed about the effect he ,as the embodiment of fear, would have on the Imagination. But if he could keep from panicking, it should be fine, right? 

He walked slowly, following a path of rainbow stones aimlessly, not sure where Logan wanted to meet in here. It was pretty here, at least- sprawling fields of flowers, forests that were sectioned into different seasons, a calming tune playing from an unknown source. He wondered if this was how it always looked here or if Logan had somehow gotten Roman to change it. "Virgil? You came! I'm glad to see you. How are you? Something's been bothering you, but I can't figure out what."

**"It's nothing. Dumb feelings, really. You don't want to know, you'd laugh. Or you wouldn't want to be friends anymore. I mean- why did I say that- I'm sorry!"**

"What? Virgil , I don't- your feelings are not dumb. I'll try not to laugh at you unless you've made a joke. And I enjoy being your friend. Why would I not want to be friends anymore? Did I offend you? "

**"...Nooo. No, not offended. Opposite. Not bad feelings but ... Icanttellyou! I'm not- Logan, I- I'm not mad at you, ok, I just- you're... I really.... just do it, Virgil, bite the damn bullet already, rip off the bandaid-IHAVEACRUSHONYOU! ButyoudonthavetolikemebackIgetitImnotinyourleague-you're smart and confident and cool and I'm not anything interesting and-"**

_"Virgil._ Who told you you're not interesting? You have such good observations about dangers or negative - darker aspects of storytelling. You're able to recall past dangers Thomas has faced and strive to avoid any of them , along with identifying new ones. You've kept Roman from talking Thomas into wooing someone who would hurt him, much of the time at least. And watching you debate someone is always very amusing, you have searing comebacks. You have... feelings for me. Good feelings? That's... welcome news. But I am a bit perplexed on what I did to make you feel so anxious about telling me. I like you, Virgil. I'm not good at expressing- feelings are- Your company is pleasant to me. I enjoy your existence. I look forward to our conversations? Oh, what is the right term for- "

Virgil was laughing. " **You absolute dictionary clone. You- you like me? You're not- you enjoy my existence? Smooth, Sherlock.** You like me. You like me? You mean it, right?" 

"Lying serves no benefit here except hurting your feelings. I have no interest in doing that. Yes, I um. I like you. Like.... oh, what's that skater anime Roman gushes about? I like you in the way the skaters like each other? "

"What, did the witches Roman makes up hex you so you can't say a four letter word?" 

"I can say it! I just- I don't want to overwhelm you or put pressure on you to say it as well!" Logan was poorly attempting to hide a blush.

"Nerd. You're such a nerd. But it's kind of.... cute. So, since we like each other , in a skater way-"

"Please don't tell Roman I said that."

" -anyway, since you like me in a skater way, Yuuri, do you want to .... would you ...um. Do you want to maybe... have a... " 

"Very good impression of a smooth suitor, Virgil, I am smitten. My knees are shaking, I may faint. "

"Shut up! Do you want to do an activity together- shit, no, I mean- can I- god how does Roman do this, I can't think- breathe, breathe. Okay. You like teaching, right? So, um. Give me a private lesson on something?" 

"Private in which way?" 

"Wha- **oh. Oh fuck. I didn't mean that way! Don't be gross! I meant just- stop laughing at me with your eyes you little shit, you know what I meant! Just teach me something, anything, like, oh, you like space stuff, tell me about your favorite space stuff. I like.... I um, like hearing you talk about things you like. "**

"Oh, you do? I can do that then. I'll teach you about exoplanets! They're fascinating!Oh, or constellations and the mythology around them. Did you know stars and planets and everything in space makes a noise unique to that thing? We see starlight from stars that died a long time ago because of how long it takes light to reach us! Jupiter's moons are named after all of that Roman god's lovers. Several early astronomers were hated by the church-"

"Sounds great, Lo. I'd learn about whatever you like, really. I ... you're really hot when you get into talking nerdy. "

"My body temperature remains normal when I am discussing the topics I am most intrigued b- _Oh. Oh . "_ Logan was deeply blushing now, trying to avoid looking at Virgil. 

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************

"I don't know, Remus, they seem to be doing alright on their own, do we really need to-" Roman peered out of the treehouse window, watching Virgil and Logan. 

"They'll kiss faster if they're in a stressful situation! Like having a dozen hungry firebears after them!" Remus hung upside from the ceiling rafters, snacking on a dark, mushy... _something_ that was definitely not food. Roman had learned not to ask. 

"Absolutely not! _**NO**_ fire bears. But I see your point. Hmmm.... minor natural disaster? "

"Spider rain?" 

".... Virgil does like spiders. He could be cool in front of Logan, perfect! Good idea, bro!"

"I did good! Fuck yeah! How many spiders is too few? What species?" Remus was excited.

Roman grabbed Remus's cheeks, looking at Remus sternly, doing his best Patton impression. 

"Not... Remus. Remus, look at me. Not real spiders, we are not out to traumatize people. Fake spiders, like... the Halloween decorations. I want you to look into my eyes and promise me you are not going to dump actual dangerous things onto our friends. "

Remus sighed. "I won't drop dangerous things onto our friends. Spoilsport. "

"Good. Now let's make a storm, shall we? If you throw lightning near Virgil or Logan, I will take away your deodarant stash. I mean it, Remus. "

"You don't let me do anything funny!"

" _Remus! Hurting our friends is not funny! "_

********************************************************************************************************************************************

Virgil was having quite a bit of fun teasing Logan, just relieved the conversation had not resulted in him melting from embarrassment. He was very happy, having a nice time... so _of course_ there was suddenly a huge crash of thunder. Virgil moved closer to Logan. Only to keep him safe, not for any other reason. 

Logan, however, the _brilliantly frustrating nerd_ , took Virgil moving closer to mean Virgil was scared, and before Virgil could process, Logan's arm was around his shoulder, and he was pulling Virgil close very gently. "Don't worry. I'll protect you. " His voice was soft ,comforting and serious, and Virgil was _going to combust right there._

"Oh- I- th- I'm n.. not-" _Use full sentences, Virgil, your dignity depends on it!_

"I understand. You don't need to explain, it's perfectly natural to be feeling how you are, Virgil. Loud sudden noises are a common trigger for panic attacks. I won't let the storm harm you. Take deep breaths. "

 _Damn it. Logan was being so helpful and nice but completely missing what Virgil was trying to do. He'd wanted to comfort Logan, make sure Logan was_ _okay._

"Logan, no, I- I was- " Another loud boom of thunder interrupted him, and this time Virgil did flinch. Logan hummed softly, a hand hesitantly stroking Virgil's hair, and _oh no. It felt so nice._ Virgil's brain short-circuited, the only thing that mattered was the nice feeling of Logan holding him like this. 

Then something was falling from the clouds. Not normal rain either. Virgil was still trying to figure out what it was when he felt Logan tense. "Something is in my shirt, it fell down my shirt and it feels strange. I do not like it. " He sounded ... not freaked out, but alarmed. 

"Whoa, easy, L. Just, just try to grab it out?" 

"I will not touch whatever it is. I have a better solution, one moment. " Logan let go of him , stepped slightly away from Virgil, and- _he was taking off his shirt._

Virgil yanked his hood up, then down to hide his face, which had to be redder than Roman's sash. He tried to focus on making something, anything, to shield them from the weird rain so Logan would put his shirt back on, and suddenly they were under a black and purple gazebo roof, a wooden floor beneath them. It wasn't a huge space, just big enough for two, but the effort of summoning it into existence had worn Virgil out. He swayed on his feet. Everything looked so blurry and sideways and why was Logan giving him that funny look? 

*********************************************************************************************************************

 _Virgil had fainted. Virgil had fainted, and Logan had failed to protect him._ He had been quick enough to catch Virgil and lay him down gently, but he still felt guilty. If he had remained calm during the storm, surely Virgil wouldn't have felt pressured to protect him by summoning this shelter. All of the Sides could summon things here, but it was far easier on Roman and Remus, since they were inherently linked to this place. Patton could make things with relative ease, but would grow tired after a few things had been created. Logan could summon things, but it required a lot of focus, and he had a headache for a long time afterwards. He had not known Virgil's limitations here, only that the anxious Side rarely came to the Imagination. He suspected though that Virgil was not used to summoning objects like this- as fear, his natural inclinations would certainly lie elsewhere. Virgil had seemed to have little trouble creating shadows and changing the costumes of the group for the Embarrassing Phases video, and they hadn't been in the Imagination then.

Logan took a deep breath, composing himself. He would be of little help to Virgil if he allowed himself to get lost in analyzing. After ensuring he'd shaken his shirt out and rid it of whatever odd thing had gotten inside it, he put his shirt back on and set to tending to Virgil. He sat down next to him, focusing, and conjured up a soft pillow, in black and purple patchwork pattern, not his preference but it was for Virgil, so he went with colors Virgil seemed partial to. He lifted Virgil's head gently, laying it on the pillow so Virgil would be more comfortable. It wasn't cold in the Imagination right now,so Logan simply observed Virgil quietly. As he waited for Virgil to wake, he examined some of the odd things that had fallen in the storm. They were, of all things, plastic and rubber Halloween spiders.

"A very childish prank. Roman, perhaps, or Remus. Startling but ultimately harmless. They must have been trying to ... prank us? Meddle? Hm, I wonder if they disapprove of Virgil and I ... upgrading our relationship. Though we hardly discussed that yet. "

"How wonderful. The twins managed to make Virgil faint, exactly what I had planned. Extremely helpful, Remus! Thanks so much!" Janus walked out of the woods, a look of profound annoyance on his face. "Not that I care, Logan, but is Virgil hurt? Clearly fainting is a healthy and normal occurance for him. What boring, non-traumatic thing triggered it?"

"I... am not certain. 87% sure I was the cause, actually. I reacted a bit poorly to the rainstorm the twins created, and Virgil created this gazebo to shelter us, which seemed to have been the reason he fainted. I did not plan on anyone else being here. I wanted Virgil to feel relaxed, as much as possible, anyway, and be able to talk to me. "

"And you deduced it would work best if you told no one else that this was meant to be a private conversation? I see why you're Logic. " Janus stepped into the gazebo, sighing. "I definitely intended to ruin this meeting for you both, not to help Virgil confess to you. I'm not going to go and find the chaotic rulers of this nonsensical place. You should stay and see what other plots they throw at you, it would clearly improve things between you and Virgil. "

"I don't understand why you choose to speak in such an irritating fashion, Janus. But I will take your advice. Be careful while you're here, alright? Thomas needs all of us. " 

"Oh, damn, you saw through my plan to be reckless and idiotic. Curses! "

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

"Nothing interesting is happening! I'm bored! But I know just how to spice things up!" Remus dropped down from the ceiling, grinning wildly. 

"Remus, what are you planning?" 

"It's a surprise!" 

"Remus, no. Whatever you're thinking, do not do it! We're here to _help_ our friends on their date! " 

"Oh, this will help a lot! Everything will change! It'll be so exciting and fun! They're gonna love it!" 

"Remus, just run it by me first, please-"

"Nope! I'm Creativity too, you know. But I don't wait for approval from anyone else, I just DO! I'm unpredictable! Like when Thomas was a kid and our adventures could be anything! I was playing nice for a bit for fun but now you're stifling me, fun police. So let's play a new game, Ro-Ro! Extreme Hide and Seek!" 

"Remus! No! _You know we can't play that game when there are other people in here! It's too dangerous!_ " 

Remus only laughed, snapping his fingers, glowing a radiation green, and vanishing into a cloud of sulfurous mist. Seconds later, his voice boomed through the entire Imagination. " Hellooooo , bitches! Welcome to ** _EXTREME HIDE AND SEEK_**! The best game in the Mindscape! The goal is to find ME and ROMAN, hide from all the fun spooks, and find the door out! Good luck! The game ends when I say so! Or when I get bored, whatever's first! The contestants are Logan, everyone's favorite hot professor, Janus, the charmer , with sexy scales and a fedora collection, and the token emo, Virgil! The panic at our disco! "

"I'm going to strangle him. " 

"You - you're not going to, you mean, right Janus?" 

"Oh, no, Logan, I'm going to strangle him. Full disclosure. Honest." *************************************************************************************************************************************

Patton wasn't sure how to fix whatever was bothering his favorite little stormcloud, but he would sure try his best. He was in his room, making little post it notes of ideas for a fun party, a night of group bonding activities so all the Sides could get to know each other better. He was sure part of Virgil's stress was everyone fighting, so getting along would help Virgil not be so overwhelmed. 

What would everyone like? Logan liked trivia games. So a trivia game, but on a few different topics so everyone could play. Theater and Disney for Roman, history and science for Logan, cartoons for Patton, horror movies for Remus, emo and punk music for Virgil. Politics and philosophy for Janus- Patton knew some of that stuff too but hated the arguments political talks caused. A trivia night would be the best option if he wanted to get Logan to play. And he did. A movie after, which they could vote on together. Homemade snacks, a special dinner- everyone's favorites, and a blanket fort so Janus wouldn't get too cold. Yes , this would work! 

He headed into the kitchen, pulling out a recipe book and throwing on his favorite apron, one covered in cute kittens. Setting his phone on the counter, he plugged it in to charge and started to play his favorite playlist of music, though at a low volume so he wouldn't bother anyone. He sang along softly as he washed his hands and set to work baking and cooking. 

Extra sour lemon cookies for Remus- he'd learned Remus liked food if it had strong flavors. For a drink, a gallon of several different punch flavors mixed together. Remus had a _unique_ diet. 

Two batches of chocolate chip cookies, one with dark chocolate for Janus and Virgil. 

Snickerdoodles for Patton and Roman, and ginger snaps for Logan. Coffee for Logan, sweet tea for Patton and Roman, soda for Virgil, and wine for Janus, who insisted on being " classy". 

Popcorn for most of them, but different recipes- caramel corn for himself and Roman, kettle corn for Logan, salt and vinegar for Remus, and despite his supposed disinterest in sweets, Patton was aware Janus frequently stole dark chocolate from the pantry, so he made dark chocolate coated popcorn for Janus and Virgil. 

For dinner, that was a bit trickier. For Remus, he made a batch of sauerkraut and sausages, with rye bread to make sandwiches. 

For the rest of them,chicken alfredo with fresh garlic. 

He worked hard to make sure everything was done right, and cleaned up when he'd finally finished making everything. 

Then he grabbed his phone, and texted the others. 

***Pawton started a group chat***

***Pawton added Dukey, WhovianSide, Stormcloud, BowlerHatGuy and DragonWitchSlayer to the chat***

**Pawton:** Hiya kiddos! You're all invited to trivia and movie night! I made a special dinner and everyone's favorite desserts! 

**Dukey:** I LOVE GAMES! I'M PLAYING ONE RIGHT NOW! I'LL COME TO SEE WHAT MAYHEM WE CAN MAKE! FUCKING GREAT IDEA !!!

 **DragonWitchSlayer:** Awesome plan, Padre! I'll be there as soon as I take care of this.... quest. And thanks for the cool text name!

 **WhovianSide:** Salutations. I will join this event as soon as I can, there is a pressing matter at hand currently. Please change my screen name. 

**Stormcloud:**

**BowlerHatGuy:** I'm not coming because I want your treats. I'm coming to be mean and tease Roman. 

**Pawton:** Great! No pressure to join us, Virge, but we'd love to see you, ok? 

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************


End file.
